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News18
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Rajesh Khanna Allowed His Stardom To Slip, People Began To Mock Him, Says Sharmila Tagore
Last Updated: Rajesh Khanna, India's first superstar, rose quickly but couldn't sustain fame. Sharmila Tagore revealed he failed to adapt to changing audiences. Late actor Rajesh Khanna was regarded as one of India's first superstars. His charming personality, good looks and film choices in the early days of his career catapulted him to fame almost overnight. Khanna also enjoyed a robust fan following, especially from females. His hairstyle became a trend, and 'Kaka' became almost synonymous with sensation. Unfortunately, Rajesh Khanna's downfall was as swift as his success. Sharmila Tagore, his co-star in many films, revealed why the late superstar couldn't grasp his own success. Sharmila Tagore wrote the foreword to Rajesh Khanna's biography, Dark Star The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna, penned by Gautam Chintamani and published by Rupa Publications. In the prologue, she reflected on why her co-star couldn't hold on to his fame. She wrote in the book, 'Like his friendships, Kaka didn't nurture his stardom and allowed it to slip from his grasp. He failed to notice that the audience was changing, and that the roles he had been doing were becoming less and less relevant. Kaka either couldn't or didn't reinvent himself to remain contemporary; so much so that he became almost a caricature of himself, and people began to mock him." Tagore also observed that Khanna was too generous with some of friends. He would splurge them with expensive gifts, even giving them flats. 'But, in return, he expected far too much which ended up putting a strain on the relationship," the Aradhana actor further penned. The veteran actor, in all honesty, wrote about what she didn't like about everyone's beloved Kaka. 'But what affected me personally was his habit of coming late to work. I went to the studios at 8.00 a.m. and wanted to be back with my family by 8.00 p.m. But this was impossible, since Kaka never arrived before 12.00 noon for a 9.00 a.m. shift. And we could never finish on time. As a result, the entire unit would pressurize me to work overtime and complete the schedule. This became the norm, and since I had many films with Kaka, I found myself in a quandary," she wrote. The Safar actor further penned, 'So, I opted to work with other actors more and more despite the fact that our pairing had been so successful. Probably even Kaka felt it was not such a good idea to have so many films with one actress—one runs the risk of becoming stale. Whatever it was, we found ourselves working together in less and less films. And I must confess, it was a huge relief." Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore were one of Hindi cinema's most iconic on-screen pairs, delivering a string of memorable films in the late 1960s and 1970s. Their chemistry lit up classics like Aradhana (1969), Amar Prem (1972), Daag (1973), and Avishkaar (1974). First Published: July 14, 2025, 15:51 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Rajesh Khanna once revealed real reason why Dimple Kapadia never divorced him
The tag of India's first-ever superstar is associated with none other than Rajesh Khanna. The iconic late actor left no stone unturned in entertaining fans to the fullest. With movies like Aradhana, Anand, Amar Prem, Namak Haraam, Avishkaar, The Train, among others, Rajesh Khanna is known for his performances, even more than a decade after his passing. Fondly called Kaka, Khanna's professional life was celebrated, while his personal life also made headlines. Rajesh was married to actress Dimple Kapadia. The actress was hardly 15 when she tied the knot with the superstar. However, their wedding did not last long, and they eventually separated. Though the couple went their separate ways, they never formally divorced until his demise in 2012. A video that has resurfaced online shows Kaka reflecting on Dimple's decision not to grant him a divorce. The video is now making the rounds on the internet. Rajesh Khanna, in the video, can be heard saying, 'We did live separately. Abhi tak divorce nahi diya. (She has not given me a divorce yet). She doesn't give reasons—best known to her. I can only say that she chose not to get a divorce. It's her choice. Dilon ki baat hai (It is a matter of the heart). The knots and seven pheras are part of an institution of marriage that seems outdated in today's modern times, as per many people. Some people share, while others don't disclose.' Rajesh Khanna's love life was known to all. After separating from Dimple Kapadia, rumours made headlines that Kaka was romantically involved with Tina Munim (now Tina Ambani). However, one of his iconic affairs—which was not hidden from anyone—was with Anju Mahendru. Though Kaka and Anju were never married, they had a live-in relationship. Media reports claim that Kaka did propose to Anju for marriage even before getting married to Dimple. However, the actress turned down the offer, saying that she wanted to focus on her career at that point in time and was not ready for marriage.
India.com
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
'She was not married but was just like...': Mumtaz reveals Rajesh Khanna loved another actress, not Dimple Kapadia, she is...
Rajesh Khanna was that star of stars. In the Bollywood industry, where stardom often fades with time, it was Rajesh Khanna's fame that remained evergreen. From Aradhana, Anand, Amar Prem, to Namak Haraam, Avishkaar, The Train, among others, Rajesh Khanna delivered superhit movies that the industry still remembers. Fondly called Kaka, Rajesh's professional life always remained in the headlines. However, it was his personal life that made fans curious too. Rajesh Khanna's controversial love affair was known to all. From marrying Dimple Kapadia at a young age to having a relationship with Tina Munim (now Tina Ambani), Kaka's love life was famous in every state of the nation. However, do you know that there was a person in Kaka's life who, though not married to him, remained with him just like a wife? Yes, the person here in discussion is veteran actress Anju Mahendru. Rajesh and Anju lived together like husband and wife for a long time, which is today called live-in. Rajesh Khanna's co-star Mumtaz revealed this secret relationship of Rajesh Khanna. In a podcast, Mumtaz clearly stated that Rajesh and Anju did not consider themselves less than husband and wife. Mumtaz said, 'Rajesh and Anju lived in the same house like husband and wife, they used to get up and sit together, eat and drink together — their relationship was no less than that of a husband and wife.' The veteran actress added, 'Yes, both of them were not married, but this relationship was no less than a marriage. They both loved each other very much.' It is worth noting that Rajesh's mother wanted him to get married soon, because he was 27 years old at that time. But when Rajesh proposed to Anju in 1971, she said that she wanted to postpone their marriage because she wanted to focus on building her career as an actress.
